Total GIS for Pipeline Route Evaluation

Using a GIS Total Model to Quantitatively Analyze Pipeline Route Alternatives The Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (PRMRWSA) is expanding its regional interconnecting pipelines to serve the growing needs of its member utilities, customers, and partners. As a component of this program Kimley-Horn was authorized to perform a Feasibility and Routing Study for the Regional Integrated Loop Phase 2B and 2C Pipelines Project. In performing this routing study, the goal was to make the evaluation and ranking of alternative routes through this largely urban area on the SW coast of Florida as objective and quantitative as possible. The key was to establish non-direct cost criteria, that is, factors that do have a cost, but the cost is hard to define, and not directly related to construction, therefore identified as “non-direct” costs. The team collected, combined, and evaluated GIS data from multiple sources (Sarasota County, Charlotte County, City of North Port, FDOT, SWFWMD, FDEP, and property appraisers) into a custom GIS database a GIS Total Model). Field reconnaissance was performed to augment the GIS data with additional information not available in agency GIS data bases. The possible route alternatives were prescreened and broken down into manageable route segments for detailed analysis. Each segment was analyzed for intersections with pertinent GIS information and a calculated score for non-direct cost factors was determined for each segment as well as the comparative direct cost. The individual segments were then combined into feasible routes providing maximum regional benefit. The shortlisted routes were then ranked by the resulting score for regional benefit, non-direct cost, and direct cost. The result was a robust and defensible quantitative analysis and ranking of alternatives for approval of the member utilities. The development of a GIS Total Model and a quantitative approach to analyzing and assembling route segments provided a defensible selection of the most beneficial route for a new 42-inch potable water regional transmission main through a 32-mile urban alignment with a projected cost of over $200 million.